Imperfect Men

On this episode, Steve and Cody discuss a quiet man from New Jersey who helped shape the presidency, David Brearley. Podcast to recommend: Presidencies of the United States ( https://www.presidenciespodcast.com/ ) Sources Scarini, Donald. David Brearley and the Making of the United States Constitution . Princeton, NJ: New Jersey Heritage Press, 2005. Scott, Austin Wakeman. “ Holmes v. Watson : The...

On this episode, Cody takes Steve on a journey to the New Netherland colony, as they discuss one of the most obscure signers, Simon Boerum. Sources Schmidt, Benjamin. Innocence Abroad: The Dutch Imagination and the New World, 1570-1670 . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge U. Press, 2001. Shorto, Russell. The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that S...

On this episode, Steve and Cody go on a wild ride through the ups and downs of the self-serving founder of Tennessee, William Blount. Podcast to recommend: Hard Ticket to Sidaris ( Hard Ticket to Sidaris ) Sources Ablovsky, Gregory. “The Dark History of Indigenous Dispossession that Followed the First Impeachment Acquittal.” Standford Law School . 22 Feb 2021. Retrieved 22 Aug 23. <https://law....

On this episode, Steve and Cody see if pamphleteer Richard Bland lives down to his name. Podcast to recommend: Spanish Arpoda ( https://spanisharpoda.com/ ) Sources Detweiler, Robert. Richard Bland and the Origins of the Revolution in Virginia . Yorktown, VA: Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission, 1981. Solenberger, Marjorie. “Richard Bland, Revolutionary Philosopher.” Richard Bland Colleg...

On this episode, Steve and Cody talk about the Supreme Court and try to wring some information out of the silent man from Virginia, John Blair Jr. Sources Abraham, Henry J. Justices and Presidents: A Political History of Appointments to the Supreme Court (3rd ed.). New York City, NY: Oxford U. Press, 1992. Urofsky, Melvin I. The Supreme Court Justices: A Biographical Dictionary . New York city, NY...

On this episode, Steve and Cody discuss the enigmatic mystery man from Philadelphia, Edward Biddle, and continue their discussion on the Continental Association. Podcast to recommend: Tudoriferous ( https://tudoriferous.wordpress.com/ ) Sources House Speaker Biographies. “Edward Biddle, 1774-75.” Pennsylvania House of Representatives. <https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/SpeakerBios/Spea...

On this episode, Cody and Steve celebrate our Independence Day by talking about the fabulously wealthy, constantly indebted, and prodigious father from Virginia, Carter Braxton. Podcast to recommend: Tsar Power ( Home ) Sources “Braxton, Carter.” Repository of Historical Documents . Brown University Steering Committee on Slavery & Justice, < https://library.brown.edu/cds/slaveryandjustice/b...

On this special episode, we mark the day the Lee Resolution was approved by the Continental Congress, July the 2nd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Cody and Steve talk about the stark-raving madman from Delaware, Gunning Bedford. Sources Fradin, Dennis B. The Founders: 39 Stories Behind the U. S. Constitution . New York City, NY: Walker & Co., 2005. Morton, Joseph C. Shapers of the Great Debate at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 . Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2006. Wright, Jr., Robert K. & Morris J. McGregor,...

This week, Steve and Cody talk about a man whose name is more famous for a dog breed, Richard Bassett. Sources •Lindenmuth, Judith. “Local Legal Historic Sites – Grave of Richard Bassett.” Widener Law Blog, 4 Jan 2012. <https://blogs.lawlib.widener.edu/delaware/tag/richard-bassett/>. Retrieved 22 May 2023. •Pickett, Russ. “Richard Bassett.” Delaware’s Governors, 1777-1801 , 15 Jul 2007. <...

On this episode, Steve and Cody discuss the Founding Father with a more famous, if fictional, descendant, Josiah Bartlett. Sources Lockwood, Thornton C. “Josiah Bartlett.” Society of Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence , 2008. https://www.dsdi1776.com/signer/josiah-bartlett/. Retrieved 1 May 2023. Kelly, Howard A. and Walter L. Burrage, Ed. “Bartlett, Josiah (1729-95).” A...

On this episode of Imperfect Men, we examine the chariot-riding master of Battersea, John Banister. Sources "A List of Tithes & Taxable Property taken by Dun [Duncan] Rose Gent the 10th day of April, 1782 for Dinwiddie County". The William and Mary Quarterly . 26 (3): 196–201. January 1918. https://www.jstor.org/stable/191801 . Retrieved 24 Apr 2023. “Colonel John Banister.” Colonel John Banis...

On this episode, we discuss the first Georgia Bulldog and the last signer of the Constitution, Abraham Baldwin. Sources Coleman, Kenneth, and Andrew O’Shaugnessy. “Social Affairs, 1782-89.” The American Revolution in Georgia, 1763-89 . Athens, GA: U. of Georgia Press, 1958. White, Henry C. Abraham Baldwin: One of the Founders of the Republic, and Father of the University of Georgia, the First of A...

On this episode, Cody and Steve discuss the man who could have been the 57th signer of the Declaration, John Alsop. Sources Library of Congress. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774-1789 , Vols. 2-4. https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwdg.html#:~:text=The%20twenty%2Dsix%20volumes,Continental%20Congresses%2C%201774%2D1789. Retrieved 20 Mar 2023. See the General Sources page on our website to vie...

On this episode, Cody and Steve cover the fourth and last of the Adamses to sign the Big Four documents, Thomas Adams. Sources The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography , Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jan 1915). <https://www.jstor.org/stable/4243407>. Retrieved 6 Mar 2023. See the General Sources page on our website to view a list of commonly-used sources Podcast to recommend: Saga Thing ( Saga Thing...

On this episode, we rate the most famous Son of Liberty while downing some of the brew named for him, Samuel Adams. Sources Puls, Mark. Samuel Adams: Father of the American Revolution . New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. Schiff, Stacy. The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams . New York, NY: Little, Brown, & Co., 2022. See the General Sources page on our website to view a list of commonly-used sou...

On the second leg of our first two-parter, we continue our discussion on the Curmudgeon-in-Chief, John Adams. Podcast to recommend: Totalus Rankium ( Totalus Rankium | Ranking all the Roman Emperors and American Presidents ) Sources Ellis, Joseph J. Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams . New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Co., 1993. Ferling, John E. John Adams: A Life . Knoxville,...

On our first two-parter, we discuss the reason why Paul Giamatti is an Emmy Award winner, John Adams. Podcast to recommend: Totalus Rankium ( Totalus Rankium | Ranking all the Roman Emperors and American Presidents ) Sources Ellis, Joseph J. Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams . New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Co., 1993. Ferling, John E. John Adams: A Life . Knoxville, TN: U....

Welcome to the first ranking episode of Imperfect Men! This week we explore the third (or even fourth) best known Adams, Andrew Adams! Sources Encyclopedia of the Continental Congresses , Vol. 1. Grey House Publishing, 2015. <https://greyhouse.com/Media/GreyHousePublishing/samples/continental_smppgs[1].pdf>. See the General Sources page on our website to view a list of commonly-used sources...

Welcome to our new show, Imperfect Men! Join Cody and Stephen as they deep-dive and rate into the signers of the United States' founding documents. This episode explores the preceding events leading to the American Revolution, and discusses the criteria for which the signers will be rated. Sources: Amar, Akhir Reed. The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840 . Basic B...